Master of Ice
by Vamir the Traveler
Summary: Naruto is late getting to the bridge in wave and Sasuke dies. Instead of awakening the Kyuubi though another power emerges, one his world has never seen. Rated M for Violence and later Adult Content. Naru/Ten/Hina VERY Slight Bleach element mixed in.
1. Chapter 1 Powers Unlocked!

"Blah" - Talking

"_Blah"_ - Thinking

**Bold** – Summon, Demon, or inner self talking or thinking.

Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no money off it.

**Full Summary** available in my profile.

Chapter 1 – Powers Unlocked!

Naruto was running through the forest heading for the incomplete bridge. He was late and knew it. Sadly he didn't have a choice in the matter as after dealing with the two thugs at Tazuna's place Tsunami had finally broken down. Now Naruto might not have been the best with upset people or have the most tact but he did know a few things. This just happened to be one of them. In her eyes he had seen an emotion that, in his darkest times, would stare back at him in the mirror. Fear. Tsunami had been afraid and distraught over nearly losing her son Inari. Naruto had spent nearly 15 minutes trying to calm the mother down before finally succeeding to a point where he could leave her to go help his team. Thinking ahead he had left a few shadow clones behind to watch over the house and to help reassure the still frightened mother that they would be safe. Naruto just hoped he wouldn't be to late to help at the bridge.....

* * *

Haku had been forced to use her kekkei genkai and was currently using her Makyou Hyoushou jutsu to great success against her opponent. Just moments ago though the kid she was facing had seemingly awakened a kekkei genkai of his own. One that the world over recognized due to its infamy. "_I've got to end this soon now... I can feel another chakra source coming this way and can't waste any more of my own chakra in this fight. Forgive me Uchiha-san for I must now end this and it will hurt."_

Sasuke's mood was deteriorating. When he had destroyed Zabuza's Mizu Bunshin he arrogantly thought he would be able to match up against the fake Hunter-Nin. Sasuke was proven wrong just minutes into the battle the the enemy used one handed seals and the mirrors appeared. Sasuke did not fair well after that. Within minutes he was looking like a human pin-cushion and was being to wear out. Slowly though his own kekkei genkai, the Sharingan, awoke but it little difference by that point. Sasuke was almost out of chakra and he knew from reading his opponents body language that he was reading a final strike. _"I've got to be ready.... I don't know what he might do..."_ This later would prove to be his mistake as the future would soon show. If he had just taken the blow as it was delivered Sasuke would have survived with only minor injuries. Sasuke's arrogance knew no bounds and thus it wasn't meant to be.

As Haku moved from her mirror with lightning speed Sasuke moved. Adjusting to Sasuke's movements Haku threw her senbon with what would have been stunning accuracy. Sasuke however seeing the attack coming realized that if it hit he would be out of the fight. His sharingan had allowed him to see that it would pierce his neck and he figured it would be in a similar way as Zabuza the week before. During the fight Sasuke had realized the nin in front of him didn't want to seriously hurt him or kill him but, being an Uchiha, Sasuke couldn't allow himself to lose. A smirk formed as he thought of how he would dodge the attack. He never noticed how tired his body really was. Sasuke's sharingan slowly began to fade from his eyes as he moved and he no longer had the chakra left in him to boost his speed. Haku witnessed it all and her eyes widened seeing that instead of hitting him and putting him in a death like state the senbon would now pierce an artery and perhaps sever the nerves that helped to control the some of the neck muscles.

"_Why did he try to move like that!" _Haku couldn't understand it. She knew that he could have dodged the attack with a similar movement but it would have need to have been faster. Was this Uchiha so arrogant that he thought, even though exhausted, he would be able to pull of the dodge?

Naruto arrived at the bridge to see it covered in a thick mist. _"Kirigakure no Jutsu maybe?"_ Making his way slowly through the mist he noticed what looked like a dome of sorts in the middle of the bridge. Nearing it Naruto thought it was possible made of some sort of mirrors. They looked almost like sheets of ice. As he neared the dome Naruto spotted Sasuke standing still within. _"I bet he needs my help!" _When Naruto was just feet away the dome collapsed and he noticed standing there was another person, the fake Hunter-Nin. Naruto noticed the amount of senbon sticking out of Sasuke at that moment and panicked. "Sasuke!" Naruto would never forget the sight that greeted him as he was now within 5 feet and could clearly see all of Sasuke as he moved slightly to face Naruto. Sasuke's eyes were wide in panic as his mouth opened and closed a few times with no noise coming out. Blood had already started to leak out of one of the senbon and drenched his shirt as the look of panic increased and now tears flowed from Sasuke's eyes.

Haku observed all this in stunned silence. She hadn't wanted to hurt the Uchiha that badly. Haku just wanted to remove him from the fight long enough to take care of the bridge builder. Haku really was a kind and gentle heart. When Haku noticed the increased panic and tears she was to late to react as the kid moved a shaky hand up to the senbon. "NO! Don't remove-" Whatever she had planned to say died there in her throat as the Uchiha removed the first senbon. It was the one that had blood running from it. Immediately blood started gushing from the now clear hole with each heart beat and Sasuke, giving one last violent jerk after just a few seconds, dropped to the ground like a marionette that had its strings cut.

Naruto had noticed Sasuke reaching for the senbon but was to shocked and panicked inside to realize that the removal the senbon might not be wise. When he heard the nin start to yell for him to stop Naruto snapped out of it. As the senbon came sliding out Naruto had a flashback that those needles wouldn't cause this much bleeding while still in unless it was in something important. Something like an artery. Frozen he watched as the blood came gushing out. Time seemed to slow down for Naruto as he watched his friend's body slump down and hit the ground with a dull thud. Something snapped. "NOOO!!!"

A little ways down on the bridge the other combatants were blissfully unaware of what had been going on in Sasuke's fight. Everyone was to busy thinking other things to much care honestly. Even Sakura, the ever present and ever persistent fan-girl wasn't thinking of her precious _Sasuke-kun_ for once. She and Tazuna were both scared and thinking that they wouldn't make it out of the situation alive. Kakashi had only moments before appeared in front of them and taken a grazing attack from Zabuza and now had a slight chest wound. The wound wasn't anything life threatening but could become a problem later on if left untreated. At that moment though Kakashi was preparing his next jutsu to trap Zabuza when he heard the cries from where Sasuke should have been fighting the fake Hunter-Nin. Just moments ago he had felt a new weak chakra signature appear on the bridge and assumed it was Naruto having finally arrived from Tazuna's house. Hearing the cries from down the bridge though gave him cause for pause. It was then that he felt the pressure...

Zabuza was happy. His new plan seemed to be working and if the cries from down the bridge were any indication then his weapon had finally killed and would soon be joining him in killing the famous Copy-Nin. The feeling of joy didn't last long though as Zabuza felt a new pressure settle over the bridge...

Across the bridge 3 shinobi all had similar thoughts at the same time. _"What is this pressure? Its not killing intent or even chakra based... So what could it be?..."_ One of these nin though had a front row view to an amazing sight. Where Naruto stood a heavy wind had picked up and a light had started to emit from the blonde until finally the light became to bright and Naruto was no longer visible. Almost as soon as Naruto had been total engulfed the light disappeared and the pressure lessened slightly. With one final burst of wind all the mist that had once lay thickly over the bridge was blown away. Where Naruto had once stood there was now a figure that, although familiar to those present, was distinctly not the Naruto they remember. He was wearing all black kosode and hakama with white tabi and waraji on his feet. Over that he had on a white haori with red flames along the bottom that, if they could have seen the back had the kanji for 10 emblazoned on it and came down to just at knee height. On his back what appeared to be a katana with blue handle wrappings could be seen held in place by a green sash running diagonally across his upper body. Most everyone's thoughts were racing while some where just dumbfounded.

"_Who is this person and is he responsible for this strange pressure? If he is what is it?"_ - Zabuza

"_Who is this man?!? He looks like Minato-sensei only younger... Could that be Naruto?"_ - Kakashi

"_This is Naruto? But what happened to him? He's grown in just a matter of seconds..."_ - Haku

It was at this moment that the person raised his head from looking down to see everyone. It was at this moment that everyone, even Zabuza who didn't know the kids name, knew for certain the identity of the stranger. Though he now stood taller than he did just moments ago and the whisker marks on his checks had faded greatly the piercing cerulean blue eyes were all that was necessary to know who this person was.

Hair a little longer and wilder and now standing around 5 feet 3 inches, Naruto slowly took in the scene before him. Haku was just standing there looking at him. During the transformation Naruto had realized who was in front of him. It appeared that everyone on the bridge was just staring at him. What caught his eye though wasn't Kakashi, Haku, or Zabuza who were all the remaining primary combatants left. It was the group of people standing at the far end of the bridge that probably arrived around the same time as Naruto had and it appeared that no one else had noticed. It was then that Naruto's eyes turned from the usually warm color to an icy blue that told of pain and would make even the strongest person want to shiver.

"Haku." Without thinking the Hunter-Nin turned so that she was squarely facing Naruto and thus confirmed her identity though no one else could hear what Naruto was saying. "Leave now with Zabuza and we won't pursue you. It appears as though your employer is here and with a small army to back him up."

Turning to look behind her while trying to keep an eye on Naruto Haku was surprised to indeed find a large group of thugs and mercenaries at the far end of the bridge. Turning back to Naruto Haku formed a mirror beside herself and bowed slightly before stepping through. "Thank you Naruto-kun." Reappearing by the still stunned Zabuza Haku quickly grabbed the older shinobi by the arm and dragged him through the mirror and both were gone.

It was at this time that Kakashi and Sakura both noticed the body of Sasuke lying on the ground inside a large puddle something dark colored. Before either could react though Naruto had vanished and reappeared beside Kakashi with a hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Kakashi-san... Take care of Sasuke's body while I handle the trash."

It was at this time that Kakashi finally shook from his stupor and took notice of the thugs behind him. Before he could argue with his student though Naruto had started to calmly walk forward while drawing his sword. The pressure from just moments ago increased when Kakashi tried to step forward but waned when he moved back. Deciding that he wouldn't be any good to Naruto if he couldn't move he backed off and went to check on Sasuke. Upon arrival he noted that with the amount of what was now clearly blood on the ground there was no chance for Sasuke. As Kakashi turned back to watch Naruto he discovered that he was still slowly approaching the men and didn't appear to be in any rush.

"You are Gato?" Naruto asked of the short man in the front.

The man seeing Naruto approach and address him sneered. "Who are you to address me in such a way? I am Gato of Gato Shipping and I deserve respect!"

Naruto continued his slow walk forward and was now just over 100 feet away when he stopped with his sword now completely drawn. It was at this distance that Gato and his men could clearly see Naruto's eyes. Eyes that were now looking down on them for their petty and not so petty crimes. "Respect is earned not deserved nor should it be given freely... For the crimes you've committed here on this island there can be only one sentence..... Death."

Gato shook for just a moment under the gaze Naruto delivered before scoffing at him. "I have only done what I should to this island. They are weak and as such should be ruled over by the strong. That's the way of things in nature. The strong rule the weak." There were cries of agreement from the thugs around Gato.

Naruto's expression turned from a cold calculating gaze to a that of a silent cold furry. "The strong are meant to serve the weak and protect them! People who see the weak as things for them to use and abuse make me sick. Neither you or your men have ever showed mercy and as such you shall receive none in kind."

Before Gato could respond he felt an incredible pressure settling around him. Naruto swiftly raised his sword up high and brought it down in a wide arc. To everyone's great surprise what appeared to be 3 separate serpentine dragon's made of ice rushed off the blade and in seconds were crashing through Gato and his men. Naruto pulled his blade back up swung once more causing the ice dragons to hit the ground and shatter. Where they hit great spikes of ice formed and spread out. A fog had developed in front of Naruto due to the sudden appearance of the ice cleared and the incomplete end of the bridge was completely encased in a forest of ice. Inside the bodies of Gato and his men could be seen frozen. Some were totally incased in the ice while eithers were pierced by spikes of it and had frozen almost instantly on contact. Walking calmly up to the ice Naruto thrust his blade one more time. After the blade was buried up to the hilt in the ice Naruto pulled it back out and the ice cracked apart slowly beginning to melt. The frozen bodies would forever have looks of terror on their faces.

Kakashi made his way up to Naruto who was standing over the body of Gato. Placing a hand on his students shoulder he tried his best to comfort Naruto on his first kill. "Naruto, I know you might not have liked killing them but this is part of the job." Seeing that Naruto was still staring down at the bodies in front of him Kakashi continued. "Its unwise to dwell here at the bodies of those slain."

Slowly Naruto re-sheathed his sword and turned to look at Kakashi. "I don't regret killing them but Naruto might." Seeing Kakashi's confused look 'Naruto' continued on. "Don't bother asking me now, but ask Naruto after he wakes up in a day or two." 'Naruto' struggled to stay up not wanting to collapse just yet. "Ask him who Hyorinmaru is." With that Naruto's body finally started to fall towards the ground before he was deftly caught by his now concerned and confused sensei.

_I hope that you all enjoyed this story's beginning. I've lost my muse and needed something to help me find it again for my other stories so I decided to write this one. There is obviously be a very slight Bleach cross-over that will be explained in the coming chapters._

_As for pairings I've decided that this will be a Naru/Ten/Hina story. Naruto will get together with Tenten and Hinata at about the same time. You'll understand once you've read it. I'm going to try to make this as believable as possible for the pairings and how they happen._

_Please read and review._


	2. Chapter 2 Origin of Power Part 1

"Blah" - Talking

"_Blah"_ - Thinking

**Bold** – Summon, Demon, or inner self talking or thinking.

Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no money off it.

**Full Summary** available in my profile.

Chapter 2 – Origin of Power!

"_What the hell hit me..."_ Naruto slowly opened his eyes only to groan when the light hit them which caused him to rapidly close them once again. Hearing a slight chuckle he cautiously reopened his eyes and tried to focus on the person causing the sound.

"Welcome back to the land of the living Naruto." Kakashi was leaning up against a wall on the other side of the room, which Naruto now recognized as being in Tazuna's house. Seeing the unasked question in Naruto's eyes Kakashi decided to head him off. "You've been out for almost a week now."

Naruto's eyes opened wide upon hearing this and he tried to ask another question but found his throat to dry. Kakashi, having known that this would be a problem, brought a glass of water to his student before helping him to take a few sips. Once Naruto had had enough he stopped sipping the cool water and tried again to ask his sensei the question again. "W-what happened?"

Although you couldn't tell from the outside Kakashi was frowning hearing this. In all honesty Kakashi wasn't certain what happened on the bridge that day. He had hoped Naruto would be able to shed some light on it. "I honestly don't know what all happened Naruto." Seeing Naruto looking even more confused Kakashi elaborated. "I was unable to watch everything that happened on the bridge and, in all honesty, YOU are the biggest piece of the mystery surrounding that day." Kakashi noticed Naruto's denial before he could voice it. "Yes you..."

Naruto was confused and dumbfounded as to what Kakashi meant. He was the big mystery of that day? Concentrating hard Naruto tried to remember what happened the day of the battle. He remembered saving Tsunami and Inari. He remembered leaving some clones behind and having to stop Inari from running all around the village... _"Wait what? I didn't have to stop Inari... My clones did but why would... I... _I'M AN IDIOT!_ I get their memories and I've never noticed before! I'll have to ask about that and what it could mean!"_ After his short victory dance in his head Naruto went back to thinking of that day. It was then that he remembered the death of his comrade. "Sasuke died...." Though it came out as little more than a whisper Kakashi heard it.

Sighing Kakashi moved from the wall and sat down by his student. "Naruto, I know that this must be hard for you, but can you tell me what happened to Sasuke at the bridge? Did you see how he died?"

Tears welled up in Naruto's eyes before he answered. "I didn't get to see it happen... I got there just as this dome of.. Well, they looked like mirrors, possible made of ice, collapsed. Sasuke looked like a pin-cushion. I.... He.... I called to him.... H-h-he turned to me a-a-and blood was coming from his neck... He had been hit by a senbon or two there... T-t-the look of panic... Of fear..." Naruto stopped for a moment trying to collect his thoughts before he continued even more quietly. "Sasuke's eyes said it all. He knew he was dying... Though you could see the panic in them... There was also despair. Sasuke tried to say something to me but was unable... I-I-I was to shocked and scared to stop him a-as he removed the senbon from his neck..."

Kakashi closed his eyes after having heard that. _"Naruto saw him die. He didn't just see the body he watched as the life left his eyes... If it had been an enemy it wouldn't have been so bad but this was a comrade, a teammate... This team is starting to look more more like my old Team 7."_ "What happened next Naruto." Kakashi gently prodded for him to continue.

Naruto slowly shook his head in what seemed to be sadness and regret. " Sasuke was bleeding but it wasn't too bad. It had started to soak into his shirt but I've ha... Seen worse." If Kakashi caught Naruto's slip he didn't make an indication of it. "But when he pulled the needle... When he pulled it out blood just came gushing out in waves......" Naruto seemed to look a little sick thinking about the amount of blood seen coming from Sasuke. "Just moments after p-pulling it out...." Naruto chokes on a sob. "He dropped. I could see the life leaving his eyes as he f-fell..."

Kakashi watched as Naruto stopped and seemed to be collecting his thoughts and his emotions. Kakashi really did feel for Naruto. He had also caught Naruto's little slip up. _"I know I wasn't around much but surely it wasn't that bad was it?"_ Seeing that Naruto had recomposed himself and appeared ready to continue Kakashi decided that Naruto and his childhood would be best brought up later. Perhaps with the Hokage.

"The next part is more of a blur really but I think I know what happened........"

_*Flashback – Naruto's Mind*_

_Sitting up slowly Naruto took a look around where he found himself. It looked like a damp, dark sewer with water a couple inches deep running through it. Getting up Naruto tried to remember what had happened. Slowly it started to come back to him. Tsunami... Inari... Sasuke..... Unsure of where he was or what he should do Naruto decided to start walking._

_What seemed like an eternity passed. Eventually he came to what appeared to be a large set of bars with a small piece of paper marked seal holding it closed. What surprised him though was the ice. Between each pair of bars there was a solid block of ice that made it so that nothing could get in or out of the bars. Behind the bars and ice a giant figure could be seen thrashing around and trying to claw at the ice. _"The Kyuubi... This must be the seal. But is up with the ice?"_ Upon closer inspection Naruto found that all the ice was connected on the top and bottom of the cage and on the far left a trail of it led back the way he came._

_After what seemed like another eternity the sewer finally opened up on a frozen tundra. When Naruto exited the sewer it disappeared behind him. Not concerned at all Naruto continued forward and started to look around. In the distance large snow covered mountains could be seen and behind him just flat, frozen waste. Suddenly a frozen wind swept through the area causing Naruto to have to shield his eyes and face. As quick as it had appeared the wind was suddenly gone. When he reopened his eyes Naruto was astonished. There before him now stood an elegant traditional style house with a small garden and yard. Walking towards it he is surprised when it suddenly becomes warm after he steps into the yard. Looking back Naruto can still see the ice covered mountains and the frozen waste lands, but for whatever reason the cold can't seem to reach the yard._

_Deciding to press forward and try to find out what was going on he made his way up to the front of the house. Just as he had raised his hand to knock lightly on the door he heard a soft, feminine voice call out from inside. "Please, come in... I've been waiting for you Naruto."_

_Surprised a little Naruto slowly slide the door open and, being mindful to remove his shoes, entered the house. In the main room by a small fire pit sat an exquisite looking woman. She was wearing a traditional kimono and robes all in shades of blue. She had waist length white hair with ice blue highlights and stunning crystal blue eyes. Naruto noticed that she was gesturing for him to sit opposite from her across the fire. Naruto became uncomfortable under the woman's intense gaze and started to squirm a bit. Then, without warning, the woman was smiling at him and her gaze had softened._

"_Forgive me for the scrutiny. I was only just awakened and, though I could see it in your memories, I had to be sure for my self of what kind of person you were." Her voice was still soft and airy. It seemed to float gently to Naruto's ears and it helped to relax him._

"_You've been asleep?" Seeing her nod Naruto continued. "For how long? And where are we? And did you say my memories?" Naruto was nervous about the last part. There was some stuff that he didn't want others to know about in his past._

_Sensing his uneasy over the last question the woman decided to start there. "Yes, your memories. Naruto, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You should be admired for what you've survived and for how you've turned out." Her gaze became even more gentle, almost motherly. "In time you will realize that others have seen you at some of your lowest points and still care for you... Not out of pity which you fear and won't accept, but out of caring, concern, and love." Though Naruto never understood why or what it meant, the woman knew immediately when viewing his memories why Hinata acted as she did. She wouldn't tell Naruto though why yet. She hoped he could figure it out on his own. "As to where we are, we are currently in your mind."_

"_But what about the sewer that had the seal?"_

"_That was the seal room... While it is apart of your mind it is also separate so that your mind is protected from the beast." At the mention of the Kyuubi the woman features darkened slightly and a frown formed for a moment before she returned to smiling. "However, the years have not been kind to you. You have built a mask of happiness that hides the hurt and pain you feel. That is why your mind is so desolate and barren. In time though that might change if you allow yourself to truly feel and heal."_

_Hearing this Naruto looked down, unsure of what to say for a moment. "...I don't know. I know I'm not always as happy as I may seem..." Seeing the look the woman was now giving him Naruto decided to just be honest. After all, she had seen his memories. "Okay okay..... So I'm rarely as happy as I seem. But if I don't play the happy idiot I'm afraid the villagers and others might start the attacks again."_

_The woman silently got up and moved over to Naruto's side. Once seated again she gently reached out and placed a hand on his cheek and made him look her in the eyes. "Naruto... Know that I will always be here for you and you can tell me anything as I'll never judge you. But you should drop the mask and let people see the real you more often... Your a proud shinobi now aren't you?" Seeing his slight nod she continued. "Then show the villagers that... Now your last question, I've been asleep for almost 13 years. You see, when the Kyuubi was sealed in you the Shinigami that came knew you would live a hard life. So he left me..." Here the woman let out a small giggle that Naruto thought was beautiful. "Well, maybe not me exactly. You see every Shinigami has a unique sword called a Zanpakutou that is used in slaying hollows and sending souls to a place called Soul Society. Toshiro, the Shinigami that sealed Kyuubi, decided to leave you with a little of his power inside you. He wielded Hyorinmaru, the most powerful ice type Zanpakutou to have ever existed... Though I think I could give him a run for his money."_

_Hear Naruto chose to interrupt. "So your a Zanpakutou?" The woman gave him a slight nod. "But I'm not a Shinigami... Am I?"_

_Here the woman laughed a full laugh. "My dear dear Naruto... You're no Shinigami. But you do wield some of their powers now thanks to Toshiro. What he left in you was a seed. That seed in the first year of your life grew and became what I am. Because Hyorinmaru was an ice type thats what I've become. In fact I've all the same powers as the old dragon... Now he's still stronger just because he's been around a lot longer than I."_

"_Been around longer? What do you mean?" Naruto's head was seriously starting to hurt as he was confused._

"_Zanpakutou have always existed. They chose their wielders, for the most part, after seeing something in the Shinigami that they relate to. There have always been Zanpakutou and a new one hasn't come into existence in millennium. That is until me."_

_Naruto was surprised by this. "What do you mean until you? You just said all Zanpakutou have always existed..."_

_Reaching up and running a hand gently through Naruto's hair she continued. "That is true, but I'm not a normal Zanpakutou. You see, Shinigami are not supposed to come to this dimension. As far as all but the captains are concerned there's only 4 dimension's, though most only ever think of 3. There's the land of the living, Soul Society where they along with regular souls live, and Hueco Mundo where the Hollows live." Seeing Naruto was becoming more confused at some of the terms the woman just patted him on the head gently. "Don't worry if you don't understand yet, I'll teach you later. Now the last dimension is Hell. Most Shinigami don't even think of this place even though they know it exist and several have seen the gates to it. What they don't think about is that there's also the Kings Dimension which can only be accessed by the Sotaicho of the Gotei 13. That dimension is what you might call True Heaven, the counterpart to Hell. However, existing parallel to the "Living World" is another world. The one that you live in. However Shinigami and Hollows can't reach here under normal circumstances and Shinigami are not needed for if someone dies here they are immediately sent to either Heaven or Hell. If certain, circumstances happen though, a Shinigami or Hollow might be able to come here though. Hollows aren't that much of a problem since Shinobi can use chakra, a combination of Spiritual and Physical energies and can thus see them and usually take care of them easily."_

_Naruto sat there for a moment to let everything said sink in. Slowly his mind started to sort through the information that had been presented and he came up with a few questions......._

_*End Flashback*_

Kakashi looked at his student and tried to put everything that he had just been told together. Deciding that he didn't know enough and that it would have to wait till later he pressed on. "Naruto, what about the change in appearance and the sword you used on the bridge? How does all that relate to what you just told me."

Smiling Naruto chuckled a little. "Don't you get it? To make it simple I've unlocked, well, lets call it a kekkei genkai, and it fixed what years of malnourishment and abuse did to me. Also, as a one time thing, it allowed me to alter my clothing to fit my new abilities."

Frowning slightly Kakashi was confused and worried. What he had seen didn't look like any kind of kekkei genkai that he had ever seen or heard of. "Naruto, you said to ask about Hyorinmaru before you passed out on the bridge. I know you mentioned it to me just now as being the blade of the Shinigami that did the sealing... Was that who was in control at the bridge?"

Naruto shook his head. "No... That was my own blade in control. It was a one time deal though that can never happen again she said. The reason she gave you that name was because I don't know her's and she wasn't sure I'd realize what you were asking about without it..." Naruto smiled sheepishly and started to scratch the back of his head looking down.

"What do you mean you don't know its name? You talked to it-her, the sword, for a while didn't you?" This new concept totally confused Kakashi. He knew that some master swordsmen would name their swords or that some special swords, like Zabuza's, had names given to them after being created. So how could Naruto, the owner of the blade who had apparently talked to it for a while, not know its name?

"I can't here it. Every time she tries to tell me it only comes as a whisper that's to quiet to hear. You have to understand, Zanpakutou are living spirits. While it is true that she is currently residing in my mind-scape and is in a sense apart of me, at the same time we are separate. It saddened her that I couldn't hear her but she said it was all right and that in time I would come to understand her and hear her name." By the time Naruto finished he had a small sad, but genuine, smile on his face.

Kakashi was finally starting to understand a little of what had happened on the bridge now. He was worried for Naruto though. The thought of the sword being another spirit and it residing inside his body scared him. Naruto already had the Kyuubi and while this new one sounded nice, there was no protection for Naruto from her. Deciding that this was something that would need to be discussed with the Hokage Kakashi pushed his fears aside for now. "Naruto?"

Naruto had begun staring out the window in his own thoughts while Kakashi had been himself thinking over all the implications of what happened. It appeared that it was either late evening or early morning but Naruto was ready to get up and start moving again. "Yes sensei?"

"The sun is just coming up so if you feel up to it later today I would like to you talk to Sakura." Kakashi stood up from the floor and went over to the window. Down below in the back yard stood a makeshift monument to Sasuke had been built by Sakura who was currently standing in front of it. "She took Sasuke's death pretty hard and I don't believe she's been eating or sleeping properly all week... If you would just try to talk to her as her teammate I'm sure that you could help."

Naruto frowned just a little hearing this. While he cared for Sakura he wasn't an idiot. He honestly could say that he really doubted he was the one she would want to see. Naruto though couldn't stand to see her upset though and decided to try. "Okay, I'll try to talk to her in a few hours after I get up and move around a bit first."

Kakashi smiled at Naruto and so left the room. Having a bit of privacy Naruto decided that it was time to get ready for the day.

_**My desktop crashed early this week (Monday) otherwise this chapter would have been out then. On that note, the authors note below applies to before my computer crashed and might not take effect until later this week when I get it back from having it repaired. Also, I'll update this chapter later (if necessary) after I've had a chance to spell check it with my desktop which has the proper spelling saved into it for the Japanese used.**_

_I made a few minor changes to the last chapters notes at the end. Nothing to go back and read as its not that important. Do note though that I did change Chapter 1's title as I've decided to change one minor detail. If things still don't make sense don't worry, their not supposed to fully yet. Chapter 4 or 5 should be were most of the rest is explained._

_Please read and review._


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